This invention relates to a connector in which a plurality of terminal receiving chambers, separated from one another by partition walls extending in a front-to-rear direction, are provided in a housing, and an opening, exposing the terminal receiving chambers, is formed in one surface of the housing, and a mounting member, comprising a cover or another housing, is attached to the housing to cover the opening.
FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a conventional connector disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 5-53153, and this connector is a male connector, and is a so-called multi-stage connector comprising three (upper, intermediate and lower) housings 1, 3 and 5 stacked together. Female terminals are received in each of the housings 1, 3 and 5, and insertion holes 7 are formed in a front end surface of the housing, and male terminals in a female connector (not shown) are inserted respectively into these insertion holes 7, and are contacted respectively with the female terminals. Wires 9 are press-connected respectively to the female terminals in each of the housings 1, 3 and 5, and are extended outwardly from a rear side of the connector.
The upper housing 1 and the intermediate housing 3 have the same configuration, and arm-like ribs 13 each having an inwardly-directed retaining pawl 13a are formed on and extend downwardly respectively from opposite side walls 11 (spaced in a direction of the width) of the housing, and engagement portions 15 for retaining engagement with the retaining pawls 13a are formed respectively in upper edge portions of the opposite side walls 11. The lower housing 5 is identical to the upper and intermediate housings 1 and 3 in that engagement portions 15 are formed respectively in upper edge portions of opposite side walls 11, but any arm-like rib is not provided on the lower housing.
In the connector of the above construction, the upper-side housing is placed on the upper surface of the lower-side housing, and is pushed downward, so that the retaining pawls 13a are retainingly engaged respectively with the engagement portions 15, and in this manner the upper, intermediate and lower housings 1, 3 and 5 are combined together to form a unitary construction.
However, in the above connector, the lock portions (each comprising the retaining pawl 13a and the engagement portion 15) for interconnecting the housings 1, 3 and 5 are provided on the widthwise opposite side walls 11, and therefore as shown in FIG. 2 which is a perspective view showing the connector from its rear side, when those wires 9, disposed at a central portion of the connector in the direction of the width are pulled upward and downward, the widthwise central portion is liable to be bulged particularly where the connector is of the multi-pole type having an increased width, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the locks of the housings 1, 3 and 5 are easily disengaged and unlocked, and a sufficient reliability is not obtained.